Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Unibody Macbook Pro 17'' antiglare/matte display not centered!

PimpDaddy

PimpDaddy

macrumors 6502
Original poster
May 9, 2007
359
75
Just received my new uMBP 17'' with antiglare/matte display. It works like a charm an is definitely and upgrade from my old MBP.
But after using it for 6 hours I discovered that the display itself is not centered!! I was like "WTF?! How can this happen?". I googled/MRoogled the problem and it turns out its not that uncommon on the 17'' with antiglare display:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/795856/

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/773366/

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/705897/ (see last post)

My display is off-center with about 2mm to the left and 1½-2mm to the top. Really annoying.

How can MBPs with this problem pass through quality control? I've never taken one apart but I imagined that there would be some kind of 'guides' inside the display casing that would prevent misaligned insertion of a display.

I guess not :eek:

I called Apple they day after I received my uMBP and without discussion the, very understanding, agent agreed to place an order for a new MBP with similar specs while also notifying TNT that they have to come and pick up the old machine. He noted that I was the 2nd customer he spoke to in a month with this problem.

He also told me that it was entirely up to me to choose that date of the pick up which means that worst case scenario is that I may be without a computer for a day or two if the replacement MBP gets delayed on its way to me. Pretty good everything taken into account.

I hope the new one will have a display that is at least not so off center as the one I got. I can live with a few pixels of misalignment if that means that I won't have to go through 3 or more MBPs before I get a 'perfect' one.


/Rant off :D

PS. If anyone else has this problem or heard about it please post what you've experienced :eek:
 
I had a uMBP 15" anti-glare but got it exchanged due to a grain/checkered effect appearing over moving images. But that display was actually off centre too by a fraction - it was too far up and too far left. I swear it almost seemed like I was loosing a row of pixels! I told myself not to make a big deal about it, then I noticed the checkered effect and had it exchanged.

Replacement is fine - display is perfectly aligned.

I can completely understand the annoyance of a display being slightly off centre in the rim.
 
Hey man,

I know exactly what you are experiencing. When this was an issue for me I couldn't find much literature about it. However, I found it very annoying having to notice the misaligned screen.

I'm glad, in a sense, to know what this isn't too much of an uncommon problem. Apple replaced the system without hesitation (I was within the 14 day return period).

I feel that it would be best for you to replace the system because it is a quality control issue on Apple's behalf. If this component passed QC then there may be other hidden problems. You payed good money for this premium piece of technology, so it should be perfect in every way.

Good Luck
 
I too recently received my new MBP 17'' with antiglare/matte display. Upon booting it up, I immediately noticed the display was aligned off centre toward the top left, leaving a 2mm black gap along the right and bottom sides of the screen. :(

Jumping on the web to see if others had similar problems, this was the only page I could find. I immediately called Apple who arranged a new replacement and notified TNT to pick up the old machine, same as PimpDaddy.

The second computer arrived 14 days later. Given the Christmas period, I knew some delays were to be expected. Problem is ... this computer had a display alignment issue too. The display is positioned too high and has a one degree tilt toward the right. Half my luck. :(

I immediately called Apple once again to organise a third replacement which they happily obliged to do. I also asked to speak with a supervisor to see if it was possible to flag or oversee my computer to ensure the display was correctly aligned prior to being shipped. They could make no promises as the computer simply comes from a warehouse and they have no control over the display alignment. The first two computers were what they call "special cases". I should mention that I have ordered a custom built of the MBP 17'' with a 3.06 processor, max RAM and SSD, so they need change these things once they receive the base computer from their warehouse.

Where to from here ... I'm patiently waiting for my third replacement computer. One month later than expected but third time lucky ... hopefully!

I'm also annoyed that my Apple Care Protection Plan was activated on the 12th of December but I probably won't have a computer to use until a month after this date. Should I ask if they can push the date back to the day I receive a useable computer? :confused:

What are the odds of getting a 3rd dud computer? :D

Timeline:
Dec 03 - Place Order
Dec 09 - First Computer Arrives - Display Issue
Dec 16 - TNT Pickup/Return Computer
Dec 30 - Second Computer Arrives - Display Issue
Jan 04 - TNT Pickup/Return Computer
Jan ?? - Third Computer (Awaiting)

PS. I'd be keen to know if other have had similar issues too?
 
Third Replacement Laptop

UPDATE - Just received my third replacement laptop.

Positioning of the antiglare screen is much better than the previous two laptops but it's still not perfectly centred. It's off to the left by 1mm or 1/16th of an inch (i.e. 1.5mm gap on the right and a 0.5mm gap on the left).

Is this a common occurrence? Am I being too picky or should I send it back?

Do any other antiglare MacBook Pro users have similar screen alignment issues, or are they pretty much perfectly centred?

Please let me know, thanks in advance.
 
I guess there's not many MacBook Pro matte display users around?!?!

Spent two hours on the phone to Apple today to try and resolve the issue with my mis-aligned screen. At the end of the day, they can't do anything except sent me a fourth laptop which may also have similar issues. There is no way for them to test it before sending it to me. Great QC Apple!

They could replace the display but that will take even longer. Guess I'll try my luck with the fourth laptop. It's now been 5 weeks and 3 dud computers.

Can't say I'm holding my breath! The new Arrandale laptops may very well be out before they get their act together. Grrr! :(
 
Yeah it is off. Maybe the Glossy is off too..but you just can't tell since it is all black. Anyways, I could care less. Not like i look at the edge of the screen all day long. And after years of buying stuff... nothing is perfect in this world. If I want to, I can pick all kinds of problem with almost everything I have bought. So I just learn to live with imperfections. :)
 
Picked up a 13" MacBook Pro i5 on launch day. (February 24, 2011)

Same issue. The display is shifted to the right by about 2mm.

It's not a big enough deal for me to swap it out for a new one but just wanted to let everyone know that Apple has not fixed this issue, even in the latest revision.
 
I half thought the reason for the black bezel was to hide the off chance the screen wasn't perfectly centered.

Surprised you can notice it on the 13" with a black bezel. More obvious with the silver bezel of the antiglare.
 
Kilamite said:
I half thought the reason for the black bezel was to hide the off chance the screen wasn't perfectly centered.

Surprised you can notice it on the 13" with a black bezel. More obvious with the silver bezel of the antiglare.
Click to expand...

Is this even possible? When you guys say off-centre.. do you mean the image is being cut off?

Now that I look at my display much closer... There is barely 1mm of black on each side of the screen.

Although i have noticed the right and bottom parts of the screen having slightly more black then the top and left parts... I don't think it's worth switching a laptop over.

For the record, I have 2011 15" MBP.
 
holden15 said:
...but just wanted to let everyone know that Apple has not fixed this issue, even in the latest revision.
Click to expand...

Yeah, you bumped a thread 17 months old with 8 posts and no posts in the last 14 months since this is such a major wide-spread problem. :rolleyes:

Like I've said a million times. **** happens. Every now and then a lemon makes it past QC. Just because a couple people in the last couple years have had this problem doesn't mean there is a problem with manufacturing especially when you take into account the vast vast vast majority of units sold have no sign of this problem.
 
gameface said:
Yeah, you bumped a thread 17 months old with 8 posts and no posts in the last 14 months since this is such a major wide-spread problem. :rolleyes:

Like I've said a million times. **** happens. Every now and then a lemon makes it past QC. Just because a couple people in the last couple years have had this problem doesn't mean there is a problem with manufacturing especially when you take into account the vast vast vast majority of units sold have no sign of this problem.
Click to expand...

This isn't a "major wide-spread problem". Who said it is? I'm simply replying to a forum I Googled when I noticed my brand new $1200 MacBook Pro has a minor defect. I would say this is a manufacturing defect considering many people would take it back because of this. I agree Macs aren't expensive for what you get, regardless, I still am paying $1000+ for something and people expect it to be near-perfect.

[honestly didn't know I'd "bump" a thread by replying to it. I won't do it again, Mr. Demi-God] :)
 
mike2732 said:
Is this even possible? When you guys say off-centre.. do you mean the image is being cut off?

Now that I look at my display much closer... There is barely 1mm of black on each side of the screen.

Although i have noticed the right and bottom parts of the screen having slightly more black then the top and left parts... I don't think it's worth switching a laptop over.

For the record, I have 2011 15" MBP.
Click to expand...

We're (at least I am) talking about the entire display, aluminum and all. For me, it's most noticeable when you close the screen, and see if the left and right side of the body align with the screen. In my case the screen is shifted to the right my about 2mm.

This is purely cosmetic and doesn't affect the actual LCD screen. It's actually hard no see the problem with the screen open, but it does look a little funky when the screen is closed.
 
We're talking about the screen being off centre, not the actual whole display unit (to the rest of the body).

So, inside the bezel, the actual LCD screen is perhaps 1mm from the right side of the bezel, and 4-5mm from the left side of the bezel. So there's a big gap on the left, and isn't there on the right.
 
Hi everyone, I do have the same issue with my 2011 MBP with anti glare. I got my first MBP returned and now using the second replacement. Same issue, with the LCD screen too close to the left and top sections. Contacted Apple in Australia and now waiting for this second replacement to send off and wait for the third to come.
 
Same issue on my new macbook pro 15 inch with AG screen. It is off left of about 1mm.
 
same problem with my second 15 AG. Not sending it back...it works just fine and i need it for university now.

advise: don't look for problems...it is just a piece of hardware, built to work with ;)
 
Well, I'm still waiting the third MBP to come. If still the same issue, I would say it is not an issue/problem at all regarding the off centre LCD. Maybe it is the way they align the screen in the factory.
 
Got mine yest and same problem! the AG screen has a 1mm gap on the right and bottom between the trim and the screen! I think its a common issue and many doesnt even notice it. its a little annoying because of the silver trim as opposed to the black trim on the glossy ones.
 
Received the third replacement MBP 15" AG yesterday. Same issue. The LCD is off center, too far to the left.
 
My new 15" hi-res antiglare has the same 'problem'. Normally I'm really picky but after waiting almost two weeks for this laptop and seeing how other people have been seeing the same thing in replacement laptops, I imagine it is something happening at the factory. Guess I'll just learn to have to live with it.
 
I can see the same thing on my 2011 antiglare 15". Nothing that I ever notice unless I really look for it. It doesn't bother me at all.
 
I received my 15" MacBook Pro AG yesterday. It has the same problem.. it appears that the screen is positioned too high up and too far left, with a thicker "black border" running along the right and bottom sides.

I wish there was a way to adjust the vertical and horizontal positioning of the monitor, just as you can with normal monitors.

C'mon Apple! Release H and V-positioning in a software update or something! - This feature should solve our screen alignment issues (unless of course, you're one of the really unlucky ones that got stuck with a monitor that was physically misaligned).
 
Ziliano said:
I wish there was a way to adjust the vertical and horizontal positioning of the monitor, just as you can with normal monitors.

C'mon Apple! Release H and V-positioning in a software update or something! - This feature should solve our screen alignment issues (unless of course, you're one of the really unlucky ones that got stuck with a monitor that was physically misaligned).
Click to expand...

- I really don't think this issue has to do with software. It is the unit itself that is not centered inside the frame. It is not the image that is not centered on the screen.

And I have the same on mine, by the way. I don't consider it an issue, though. It's not like the image is being cut off or anything.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back